The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb makes you feel all of the feels. One minute it’s gut-wrenching and the next it is hopeful. It is like taking an insider’s tour of an American prison, and you wish you could escape it.
Read what it’s about at: https://amzn.to/44hUOPl
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
Published: June 10th, 2025
What I Liked About The River is Waiting:
I love reading about prison life! Corby, the main character, is incarcerated, and this story offers an almost day-to-day immersion into the realities of American prison life. Lamb, the author, shows how corrupt our prisons can be, and yet, he also portrays characters that show you there is still good in the world. I believe he balanced characters well. He not only included the inmates but also portrayed the COs and the people that work inside a prison effectively.
This is a thought-provoking book. You can’t help but wonder what you would do in Corby’s situation, but also in the mind of Emily, his wife. How far can a spouse change your life until you aren’t willing to forgive them? I had to put this book down frequently to think about what just happened. Sometimes I cried, sometimes I wanted to shout, and sometimes I wanted to hug the different characters. There is no doubt that Lamb is truly gifted in creating believable characters in his books.
Of course, I also loved that parts of it centered around a river. Even if it was outside of a prison, the river gives an image of hope. It shows that life continues, no matter what.
I also liked that I learned some interesting facts about Native American history, Greek mythology, and he included some quotes that made me think.
Quotes!
One of the quotes that resonated with me was by Corrie Ten Boom:
“Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”
Since I am a big “worrier,” this is a quote I want to keep in mind. I want to keep my power and stay focused on the present, instead of worrying about the future.
I also liked, “…that having hope was never going to hurt me, but having unreasonable expectations could clobber me.” Horrible things happen to good people. With Corby’s alcohol and drug addiction, hope was all he had. Without it, he wouldn’t have survived. I often expect too much from other people. Then I become extremely disappointed when they let me down. It’s true that we need to keep our expectations in check.
What I Would Change About The River is Waiting:
Wally Lamb is an excellent writer. In fact, he wrote one of my favorite books, “She’s Come Undone.” I thought for sure this was going to be five stars from me. Unfortunately, Lamb made the book political. I read books, especially on vacation, to escape the politics of the world. It doesn’t matter whether I agree with it or not; I don’t want it in my fictional books. I wish he would have left it out because it didn’t add to the story line.
That being said, I still really enjoyed the book and would recommend it.
Do you have a favorite Wally Lamb or a book about prison life that you loved?
Extras:
Here are my two favorite books also by Wally Lamb:
- She’s Come Undone: https://amzn.to/3FQFmjY
- I Know This Much is True: https://amzn.to/4jVYOtA
You can buy The River is Waiting: https://amzn.to/4eadHaw
*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Element, and Wally Lamb for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.
